Demon-Blooded
by Deathblow88
Summary: Heavily inspired by chapters 96 and 97 of the Black Clover manga. What if Asta was the son of a demon? And not just any demon- the Demon King himself?
1. Son of the Devil

**A/N: Heyo Mayo! *a shitload of angry people turn and look like they're ready to rip me to pieces* So...ehe...I've been gone awhile. Well, shit.**

 **JUST IGNORE ME AND GO STRAIGHT TO THE SUMMARY!**

 **Summary: What if Asta was the son of a demon? And not just any demon, but the Demon King himself? Heavily inspired by chapters 96 and 97 of the Black Clover Manga. Crossover between Seven Deadly Sins and Black Clover.**

 **Standard disclaimer applied.**

 **P.S.- I have no idea if they have surnames or not, so I just made some up.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Demon-Blooded**_

* * *

 _ **Chapter 1: Son of the Devil**_

* * *

The Demon King looked over his kingdom, watching his three young sons try to best each other in combat atop one of the many distorted rock columns nearby his castle.

Although, in reality, the eldest was pounding them into the ground with such a grisly ease, that the king began to become impressed with his ability.

His darkness flared, and an equally devious smirk draped over his features. Maybe another child- another son- to train was a way to truly test his boy's mettle.

* * *

And another son, he was granted through his queen. A son who resembled the eldest closely- despite the marking signifying his heritage carrying a slight difference in appearance- namely, the line that extended under his eyelid.

 _"Astaris. Astaris Amon."_ The Demon King christened his wailing newborn, his hopes for the boy already high enough to reach the heavens.

Soon enough, the child stopped crying his arrival and opened his onyx eyes to see a giant of a man, with a marking as dark as night on the crest of his forehead, covered in metal plated armor that was meant to resemble a warrior returning from the battlefield that he did not recognize, but knew was his father. Astaris reached up for the bearded man's face in an attempt to tug on his wavy, silver locks with his petite, pudgy hands. Meliodas, the eldest, loomed over the young boy with disinterest written all over his face, only to smirk when Astaris' attention shifted over to him.

"He'd make a fine Commandment. And perhaps, an even better swordsman. Chandler would adore having him as a student." The blonde teenager commented, inspecting the newborn like a hawk ensaring its prey. Estarossa, the secondborn child, bristled with envy at the newborn recieving such attention from his elder brother and hardly noticed when Meliodas brought Astaris to him.

Astaris only cooed, not undertanding why Estarossa was looking at him with a contemptful stare. He reached out, much like he had with his father, and tugged on his brother's orange collar, effectively startling him.

Estarossa finally peeked down at the babe, who, whilst he had been wailing, had been wrapped into fine cloth to keep warm. And as soon as his gaze met that of Astaris' curious eye, did he realize that Astaris, just like Meliodas said, would make a wonderful demon soldier. "Hmm..." the silver haired demon began to ponder, much to the confusion of the baby firmly grabbing his collar.

"Estarossa, what are you doing?" Meliodas questioned.

"I...have no idea," the younger demon mumbled. He slowly removed the baby's hand from his raised collar to prevent further embarrasment, noting that his collar was now rather soiled.

Zeldris, the third son, looked heavily disinterested in the boy, even when Astaris looked his way.

"Let me guess," the raven haired boy started, his voice only just beginning to change. "I'm in charge of this pipsqueak until he's old enough to walk?" he snarked, earning a glare from Meliodas.

"No. You're in charge of helping Father train him when he's old enough." Meliodas calmly returned fire, dark miasma beginning to float around himself and Astaris, as the newborn had fallen asleep in his arms.

Zeldris returned the look his eldest brother gave him, hand on the hilt of his blade before both of them felt their father's overwhelming power descend upon them.

 _"Enough."_ Growled the king. _"I will not have this disrespect in my palace."_

Zeldris clenched his teeth. "Of course, Father. It will not happen again." He begrudgingly muttered. Sparing one last glance at the infant, Zeldris clicked his teeth and walked out of the room without another word.

The Demon King knelt down to the short boy, hoping to observe his youngest as he slept.

 _'I can tell that Astaris will make a great man...Maybe a great king, should his brothers not want the throne.'_ The Demon King mused to himself, before the messenger came through the grand doors in haste, the sound of exploding shrapnel following closely behind.

"Your Majesty! One of our batallions has rebelled! What's worse, they're gathering up other squads from the army!" He yelled in fright, causing Astaris to wake and scream. And if that hadn't been enough, his shrieks went heard throughout the palace and the now destroyed palace gates...straight to the rebels.

Who no doubt opposed to having a new member of the royal family- especially if said newborn was being loud enough to wake the dead.

Meliodas reached out with his darkness for the greatsword that hung on the nearest wall to arm himself.

He might have cared about being the strongest more than anything, but hell would freeze if he couldn't defend his castle(or his brothers, but he would never admit it aloud) before anything else.

Gripping the base of the sword's hilt, Meliodas steeled himself for what was to come, handing Astaris over to one of the servants before he gave out an order.

"I have no doubt that whatever the hell started this wants Astaris dead...so take him to the human world and hide his powers. As of today, he is Asta." Meliodas commanded. His father agreed wholeheartedly, summoning forth a massive blade nearly half his height to fight with.

Estarossa summoned forth seven blades made of shadows, each one hovering in the air beside their master as if waiting for a command.

 _'And as much as Astaris is Brother's newest protege...he is still my younger brother.'_ he mentally determined, gripping one of his many weapons in preparation of the battle ahead.

"Estarossa! You and Zeldris are with me to the South Gate! You, with Asta! Go west and take him! On the chance that you are wounded, leave him in a populated area with an orphanage, church- whatever the hell you end up next to, I don't care!" Meliodas barked, dashing forth to quell the resistance. The servant, not needing or hearing any further orders, dashed off into the opposite direction.

* * *

Along the way, Meliodas calmly went over his plan in the darkest confines of his mind as he dashed to the South entryway, his sword slung across his shoulder. _'Asta should be fine. If the rebels are entering through the South Gate, then I've no need to worry.'_ But instead of not worrying, like Meliodas had hoped, his thoughts drifted to a pit of concern for his youngest brother. _'But if something goes wrong, then I, nor Estarossa or even Zeldris will be there to ensure his safety. And as his future teacher and his brother, him living is among my ever-growing list of concerns.'_ Meliodas internally grumbled.

He was a leader of the Ten Commandments, dammit- he had no time to ponder his musings, only fight a battle and win.

The short blonde shook his conscience clear of those thoughts, stopping his run when he reached the grand doors and swung his colossal blade in a wide arc with a war cry.

* * *

Unfortunately, Meliodas' worries were proven true.

The servant, carrying the newborn prince in her arms, had been wounded across her torso, but had managed to escape with him, finding a gate from the underworld to the human world from an aerial standpoint, slipping through just as it closed.

The bad thing about that was, whilst Asta had come out unscathed, she was dying from blood loss and almost out of hearts. Landing none-too-gracefully before a church near a skull nearly twice the size of the demon king himself, the dying woman placed the young prince next to a basket where a raven haired boy lay fast asleep, unaware of the young demon prince whimpering beside him as the dying demon wrote 'Asta' in her own blood before the reaper came to claim her at last.

It didn't take too long for a sister of the church to open the door when the blonde boy began to cry loudly, flailing around a bit. Looking around, she glanced down and noticed two infants lying at the doorstep- one in a basket and in a shirt and necklace, tucked away in a blanket, and the other covered in a blood-soaked blanket and nothing else besides what looked to be his name written in blood by...the...

Oh, dear.

A bleeding corpse lay next to the wailing boy, their fingers covered in the very vermillion that the child's name was scrawled in.

"Father, come quickly!" She called out through the church doors, not seeing the marking on the blonde boy fade away completely from sight.

The head priest came running as he was beckoned and saw the boys at the doorstep just before his eyes landed on the dead woman.

"Dear Lord..." He muttered, reaching down for the infants when he saw the name written on the concrete.

"'Asta'?" The greying man whispered aloud, enough to make the bloodied boy tone down his crying a bit. Sparing a saddened glance at his fellow member of the church, he lifted the wailing child into his arms, his black haired companion gathering up the other boy in her lithe arms.

Sending a heartfelt prayer to the woman who brought forth the wailing infant- and presumably the still sleeping babe-, the aging priest brought the unknowing demon prince into the monastery.

A burial was in order for the morning.

* * *

 **A/N: I LIIIIIIVE!*insert corny ass Mushu moment* I am so sorry for my absence...I have no excuse other than total procrastination and lack of motivation. Planning my original novel is like trying to plan a trip to the moon(Lord knows this won't ever happen), and then there's sophomore year of classes. All in all, just absofuckinlutely peachy. If Meliodas seems a fair bit OOC, along with Estarossa, then know that it's probably because of the tiny headcanon that I have that before he defected, Meliodas would have been _FIERCELY_ protective of his younger brothers as a youth. Then again, it's probably because he's the eldest child and I have my own little fantasies about it.**

 **But enough of that for now, have a Seven Deadly Sins/Black Clover Crossover for your reading pleasure! And please send feedback- I thrive off of your comments in order to be constantly inspired.**

 **If some things strike you as odd, PM me for clarification, or if you're a guest, ask me any questions by review. Chapter 2 should be done by around New Year's Day, or a bit later- I'm in the middle of writing that one still, and when I'm done I'm going to write 3 and 4...depends on what kind of schedule I end up with in the long run. Also, if anyone has any ideas that I can use, or even possible suggestions, please feel free to tell me! If all you have for me are flames, though, keep your rude comments to yourselves, why don't you.**

 **NEXT UP: _Demon-Blooded Chapter 2: Seven Beats, Severed Power_**

 **UPDATE!**

 **1) Chapter 2 of Son Natsu: Journey of the Dragon King is about 75% finished! It took me nearly two years, but I'm still doing it whenever I can!**

 **2) I GOT A NEW LAPTOP!**

 **Read and Review, everyone!**

 _ **~Deathblow88**_


	2. Seven Beats, Severed Powers

**A/N: Heya there! A quickie update. Took me three full nights just to get this done. Yeesh. But, then again, I'm a night owl- I hate being up when the sun's up.**

 **Also, I'm calling the Demon King 'Tyrannus' from a video on youtube made by Zacky-San for his video of Nanatsu no Taizai 224.**

 **Disclaimer: I OWN NEITHER FRANCHISE!**

 **Enjoy, read and review!**

* * *

 _ **Demon-Blooded Chapter 2: Seven Beats, Severed Powers**_

* * *

Fifteen years had passed since the young boys were found at the church's doorstep that fateful night. Asta had grown into a strong young man, even with his powers out of his reach and the raven haired boy- Yuno, as the rest of the house would find out, was a skilled magic user, particularly with wind magic.

Asta, however, couldn't even summon up any mana to form a proper spell, much less use it.

The young teenager constantly grew more and more frustrated, so much so that when Yuno had obtained a grimoire he had to hold his restraint and wandered off to the nearby demon skull to beat his frustrations into one of the multiple thick bone pillars when, out of the blue, one of his fists burned with black fire and went through the pillar like a hot knife to butter.

" _Whoa_ ," Asta gasped out with a shaky breath. "That was _not_ supposed to happen."

His hand was still covered in black flames, the inferno vanishing before his very eyes as he gaped in disbelief at the phenomenon. Asta's thoughts raced. Did it mean that he could use magic after so long without even showing signs of having an iota of mana for years? Or did it mean somthing else entirely?

Asta's grin streched out over his face as he became giddy at the turn of events.

Magic was(quite literally) at his fingertips.

After so long, he had magic to use, even if it was a rather unusual type- he had every right to be giddy!

Unfortunately, a scream penetrated his mood like a needle to flesh, bringing him back to earth as he abrubtly turned in the sound's direction.

Immediately, Asta knew that something had gone horiddly wrong, bolting out of his temporary training spot and speeding over to the other side of the village- where he knew that the other kids from the church probably were.

Asta quickened his pace, unconciously lining his feet with the same black flames that he had used earlier and leaving a smoking trail along the dirt path, effectively startling the villagers who walked by him.

When he finally did stop, he wound up at an alleyway where a man with stringy brown hair and an equally dingy brown coat and a hovering grimoire by his side, a sickening grin on his face as he harassed Yuno and the other children from the small church, having taken the wind user's grimoire from him. Yuno and the other kids were effectively sealed off, no doubt because of the chains that kept them from moving anywhere.

"HEY!" Asta shouted from where he stood, effectively gaining their attention. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!"

Lebuty scoffed as Yuno tried to shoo the short blonde away from the scene.

"What's this? I doubt you'll be much help to him, given you don't have any magic, runt." Lebuty cackled at the boy's exploiting his weakness.

Asta clenched his teeth, feeling a foreign heat burning in his chest as his hands started to darken and heat up. Without really thinking, the young demon launched himself forward to attempt to punch Lebuty or at least reclaim Yuno's grimoire.

Instead of getting any hits in whatsoever, he was the one constantly getting hit by chains flying at him with each attempt- a spell courtesy of Lebuty's grimoire.

"Asta! That's enough!" Yuno pleaded, noticing just how much blood the other boy was losing.

"HELL NO! NOT UNTIL THIS BASTARD GIVES YOU BACK YOUR GRIMOIRE!" Asta yelled back, his verdant eyes becoming a shade of black as his dark power resurfaced, manifesting as a black spiral marking over his brow bordered by a distorted arrow shape that extended under his eyelid, four triangles on the opposite side and finishing the black sigil. Everyone present had wide eyes at his sudden change, Lebuty throwing up more chains to protect himself from the now charging boy. Asta dodged each and every one that came his way, his hands covered in black flames as he readied a punch that had actually connected.

"EAT THIS, ASSHOLE!" he hollered as the man was sent flying through the alleyway with both surprising strength and a powerful right uppercut.

Yuno and the other children were rendered speechless as the chains began to dispel, freeing them just as Asta passed out, the dark marking having taken its toll on him. Yuno thrust his palm out, summoning forth some wind to catch him and carry him back, swallowing down his surprise at the events that had just transpired as he spared a glance at the twitching man not too far away from them before he finally spoke.

"...Let's take him home." Yuno decided, the others hurriedly following after and all-too-eager to leave the tense strip of street.

 _'What...what was that? What did he do?'_ Nash thought, the fire user lost within his storming mind even as they entered the church doors. Sister Lily was worried to death, the father was very concerned, and the mood in the atmosphere hung low and on a tense note.

Yuno, who had grown with Asta since they had been left at the church, was the most worried, though. Asta had been every bit his brother, even though they weren't related by blood...

And since Asta had once again risked his life for Yuno's, watching over the blonde was the only thing he could do for him until he could truly repay him in kind.

* * *

Asta's eyes snapped open, noticing that he was in a deep cavern with red-tinted rocks. A familiar presence loomed from within the walls of the tunnel, making itself known with a gruff laugh.

An oddly familiar laugh.

 _"At long last..."_ The voice echoed, causing Asta to flinch as he sees black miasma floating through one of the multiple cracks and shaping into a gargantuan, humanoid mass.

Asta's jaw fell to the rocks below.

 _"At long last, we meet again...my son."_ The mass says to him, and Asta cannot believe what he's hearing.

He remained silent for a few moments before finally...

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?! I'VE NEVER MET YOU IN MY LIFE!" He screams to the black shadow claiming to be his father. Said hulking figure merely chuckled as if it had forgotten something.

 _"Oh, right...I had forgotten that the day you left that you were a newborn. Heh...Meliodas went frantic to make sure that you had gotten there without a hitch...even tried to bring you back home."_ He went on, further confusing Asta.

"...Let me repeat that...I HAVE NO IDEA WHO OR WHAT THE HELL YOU ARE!" Asta yells again, this time with more volume as he began to wave his arms around like a maniac.

This time, the black cloud kneels down to him making the blonde jump back nearly two full feet. _"You're my youngest son...Asta."_ He replies, before he rises back.

This time, the unsuspecting demon explodes like a bomb. "HOW THE FUCK WOULD I BE YOUR SON IN THE FIRST PLACE?! YOU'RE LITERALLY MADE OF SHADOWS!"

Then, as if that hadn't been enough, the cave begins to distort around his vision.

 _"You've already awoken your power...the rest is for you to find out. I'll still keep watch over you, so expect me to...chime in at times."_ His father laughed, before he shoots a slight amount of dark miasma through his son.

 _"Keep it...as a gift."_ Asta's father says before his vision brightens drastically and he wakes, startling Yuno as he falls off of the side of Asta's bed in response when the boy bolts out of the room without his signature jacket.

"ASTA! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?!" Yuno shouts after him, following the blonde's footfalls in speed. The others in the church just then waking(as it had long since become morning) started when they heard Yuno yell after Asta, who chose that moment to crash through the doors, making a mad dash for the ancient demon skull to try and find any way to reach back out to his supposed 'father.'

 _'If that thing from my dream was my father...then I want answers. Real, man-to-man answers.'_ Asta muses in his head, even though deep down, he knew that was no dream if he felt that miasma enter his body through his chest. And not just that, but the fact that it felt like he needed to go there for some unexplicable reason.

Asta stopped just under the jaws of the skull, steeling himself for what may lay ahead. Running into what now felt like the jaws of death, Asta went to where the pull he felt kept getting stronger until his gaze was pulled downwards and he came face to face with lo and behold, a black grimoire with a five-leaf clover etched into the back of the cover just before he lifted his eyes again to see a greatsword with a black handle and a double-edged blade lined with gold plating and runes etched into the metal. The blade itself was wide enough to be the size of a thick and folded sheet and easily Asta's height, if not even taller.

Grabbing the grimoire and tucking it under his arm, Asta reached for the sword and lifted it with ease, surprising considering that it looked so heavy.

Asta whistled, impressed with how right it felt when Yuno finally found him tapping his knuckle against the steel.

"Asta...what...the hell...did you run off for?!" he panted his hands resting on his knees. Sprinting straight around and all over a colossal ball of bones while looking for your brother-in-arms was a tiring process indeed.

Asta turned to the raven haired wind user. "I think...someone left this sword here for me and just wanted me to find it. And even cooler- they left me a _grimoire_! How cool is that?" Asta excitedly rushed the last sentence, holding out the old and worn book like it was a war medal. Yuno looked up and blinked owlishly.

"How old is that thing?" Yuno asked.

"Don't care, this means that I can finally be a wizard! I'm one step closer to becoming the Wizard King!" Asta nearly squealed in joy at his fortune. First, he finds his magic after fifteen years, and now he's got an awesome sword _and_ a grimoire?! How lucky was he?!

"Asta, how are you even okay? You passed out back in that alleyway from either blood loss or that black fire you used." Yuno began interrogating him, crossing his arms in hopes of getting an answer out of him.

Asta's grin widened spontaneously. "I finally got my magic!" Asta exclaimed, placing his new sword over his shoulder, his grimoire once again tucked under one of his arms.

Yuno's eyes widened slightly, knowing that was the most probable explanation. After all, there was no way that someone could use fire like that unless they had the ability to use fire magic.

And if Asta did have mana that he hadn't been able to tap into correctly as of late, then knowing Asta's personality, fire would have been his best guess.

Then Asta, without any warning as was usual, began to run out of the skull, excited to show off his newfound belongings. Yuno immediately gave chase, not planning on losing him.

 _"Heh. I think a 'thank you' is in order."_ Tyrannus' voice echoed through Asta's mind.

 _"Then thank you, old man!"_ Asta replied, hearing a sputter of _'OLD MAN?!'_ from his father.

Somehow, someway, Asta knew that this was just the beginning of a new journey.

* * *

The church was an easy building to spot, what with the white wooden cross on top of the steeple. Asta ran ahead of Yuno, turning their little trip into a race to the door with exciting news.

Asta slid down the hill nose-to-nose with Yuno, keeping his sword away from his face while he slid down. They both jumped up and continued to race one another when Sister Lily walked through the door with the other orphaned children with a couple of laundry baskets.

"Hey, Sister!" Asta yelled out, his sword once again over his shoulder. His grimoire was tucked under his collar so he wouldn't drop it while the race was on. Sister Lily turned, curious, until she saw the sword that the blonde boy was carrying.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" The maiden of the church exclaimed in fright, her heart having nearly stopped.

When the teenage boys stopped, with Yuno as the winner, much to Asta's chagrin, Asta planted his blade into the grass to catch his breath before he spoke again.

"My new, super-awesome greatsword!" Asta proclaimed.

The father, having been in the middle of study, rushed outside to see what was happening.

Safe to say, when he saw Asta's sword, he looked just about ready to faint.

Yep. This was the beginning of a new journey.

* * *

 **A/N: Whew, that was a helluva doozy. If my typing looks sub-par, please know that I have not gone to bed yet. I wanted to get this done before later this evening, so I don't have anything to worry over before tomorrow morning. It's almost a quarter past 5 A.M. If anyone wants to guess just what Tyrannus gave Asta, feel free to make your guesses!**

 **P.S.- If anyone wants to know about Asta's sword, look over at Vetur02 on tumblr and her Nanatsu no Taizai art. The design of one of the swords is what I based it off of.**

 **Review, follow and favorite!**

 **If you have any questions, please either PM me, or leave me a review.**

 **NEXT UP: Demon-Blooded Chapter 3: _Magic Knight Exam From Hell_**

 **GOODNIGHT. HAPPY NEW YEAR.**

 ** _~Deathblow88_ **


	3. Magic Knight Exam From Hell

**A/N: Hello and Happy New Year! I finally got some sleep(YIPPEEKIYAY, FUCKERS!), so I can actually update without feeling like I'm ready to pass out at my keyboard.**

 **Tell you the truth- I'm a little nervous about how or if you feel abut this crossover. This is one of my most read, but I only have around 150 total views...can't tell if that's a good thing or not. And NO, I AM NOT TRYING TO GUILT TRIP ANYONE WHO READS THIS. I'm just voicing my point of view on this. If anyone likes this tell me. It's a new year- I'd actually like this entire year to actually be looking up for me for once.**

 **To the guest that recently reviewed this- Thank you for the praise. And I'll try to make the chapters longer, but I don't know if this will either exceed your expectations, or lower them drastically. Either way, I'll keep that in mind. I'm aiming for at least 10k words out of the first three chapters combined. If not, then 11k.**

 **If anyone wants to know, then yes, Nero will be included in the story. As a matter of fact, he makes his appearance in this chapter!**

 **Standard Disclaimer Applies.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 3: Magic Knight Exam From Hell**_

* * *

Asta stretched out his arms and legs, his sword behind him as he reached for the hilt and pulled it free from the ground. Gripping with both hands, he positioned his blade before him, calling forth his power and manifesting it over his weapon, black flames now in plain view. Once again, his jacket was missing(as it was in serious need of a wash). Standing before an invisible opponent, he made what he thought was the first swing, using a horizontal slash to cut at his imaginary foe.

Unfortunately, Asta couldn't quite control his flames just yet and accidentally set a tree on fire.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, _shit_..." the unknowing prince repeatedly swore, looking for some water when he spied a washpan on the ground next to the well.

Hurriedly, -and in record time, the fire was about to say hello to the other tree when he got back- Asta splashed the water onto the charred wood.

The fire, on the other hand, didn't go out like he had hoped.

Somewhere in his mind, Tyrannus guffawed at his boy's panic.

 _"NOT HELPING, OLD MAN!"_ Asta screamed at him, trying(and failing) to come up with a way to put out the black flames.

Tyrannus calmed a bit before he spoke again. _"Think of pulling something inside of yourself, like bringing something closer to you. That'll put it out."_ The elder demon advised. Asta stopped for a moment, taking a second to consider what his father was saying. He closed his eyes, his black marking appearing for but a second as he focused on pulling his power in, his hearts beating in tandem with his breathing. The inky blaze began to recede until it no longer extisted, the only proof being the blackened tree before him.

Opening his eyes, Asta marveled at the fruits of his efforts. "Whoa."

Tyrannus gave out a low chuckle. _"In time, you would make a great warrior. But let's just get control of your abilities down first."_ Tyrannus sagely commented. Asta wilted at the 'control' part, knowing that he was severely lacking in that area.

He still remembers when he had told everyone at the church about his newfound magic- he had nearly set the side of the building ablaze when he had conjured up a fireball.

Not his proudest moment.

Picking his sword back up from where he had dropped it, the boy hoisted it over his shoulder and sat down at the tree stump, pulling a rag from his pocket to clean it.

Gluing his focus to the sword as he polished the steel blade, Asta didn't notice Nash walk up to him with his hands in his pockets.

"I still think that you becoming a magic knight is a waste of effort." the boy vocalized his opinion. Asta looked up at the younger child, pausing momentarily. One of his eyebrows raised in mild confusion, although he wondered why he was even confused to begin with. Still, Nash kept speaking. "I mean, come on. You've only had magic for around six months. And other than that, we're commoners- most of the magic knights are nobles. You'd be ridiculed even if you made it in." Nash finished, playing with a stick that he had picked up.

Asta's expression changed from confusion to understanding. Yes, he was a commoner. Yes, he had only just begun to use magic just six short months ago. But would that stop him? No way in hell.

"So what about it?" Asta questioned. Nash only gave him a deadpan stare.

"I'm saying that it's a useless waste of time." Nash replied. Asta blinked twice before he slammed the fist with the rag in it over the younger boy's head. Nash yelped, both from pain and surprise.

"Yeah, I'm a commoner. So what about it? It doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things or when times get rough. What does matter is being able to get through it when you need to." Asta said, sharing wisdom that he had no doubt inherited from Tyrannus.

"That doesn't explain why you hit me in the first place!" Nash exclaimed.

"That was to knock some sense into you." the demon bluntly replied, going back to maintaining his sword. Nash's eye caught every detail, piquing his curiosity about the weapon.

Before he could ask, though, Asta shot up and hurriedly dashed through the church doors, leaving his sword behind with Nash before he reemerged with his jacket on and a small knapsack at his side. Reclaiming his greatsword, Asta sprinted down to the village entrance as he finally remembered what day it was. Nash sprinted after him, trying to keep up with him.

It was time for Asta and Yuno to leave Hadge Village for the capital of Clover Kingdom.

Spying Yuno at the village entrance, Asta shouted out to him. "HEY! WAIT A MINUTE!"

Yuno, who was waiting for Asta since he had left earlier that morning, turned to see said blonde rushing at him like it was raining arrows while his sword was in a hasty grip. Which was ironic, considering the massive weapon that still had no sheath to it was raised into the air and being waved about willy-nilly. Quickly, the raven haired boy raised a hand, covering the blade with thick gales of wind and inadvertently pushing the shorter boy back a few feet.

"Why hasn't he gotten a proper scabbard for that thing, yet?" Yuno questioned to no one in particular. "It's a miracle he hasn't accidentally killed someone with that thing, already." he muttered in exasperation. His grimoire was in a pouch on his lower back, a sack of his own in his hand. Everyone from the village was there at the gateway to see them off, Yuno more so than Asta.

Nash finally caught up to the hyper blonde, panting slightly. "Asta...you jerk...warn a person next time..." Nash wheezed. He laid his palms on his bended knees, trying to catch his breath.

Asta turned and blinked, having forgotten about the brunette. "Oh, Nash. When did you get here?" the blonde questioned, a blank look on his face.

Nash nearly facefaulted.

* * *

After a bunch of goodbyes and wishes of luck, the two set off, both determined to pass the exam with flying colors and surpass one another. Before they knew it, they were at the doorsteps of the capital, otherwise known as Castle town.

Asta marveled at the people flying on brooms in the sky above them, praying desperately to not blow the broom to pieces with his explosive power or his chances at passing the exam to vanish into thin air entirely.

 _"Dad, my brothers, Mom, everyone...wish me the best of luck. I promise I'll make you proud today."_ the demon boy promised with a determined gaze at the royal palace before him, not noticing Yuno grab a broom and fly off ahead. Tyrannus, from within purgatory, grinned widely at his youngest, though Asta couldn't see his father in the corporeal world at all and he was still in his seal. When Asta finally did notice, though, he balked and grabbed the nearest available broom, putting in a tad too much power and shot off like a bullet from an elephant gun as he screamed his lungs out and tried to slow down. Pulling in his power, like his father had taught him before he had left Hadge, he began to notice that he was finally slowing to a reasonable pace as he noticed the exam site directly below him and dove towards what looked like the front entrance.

Asta pulled his grimoire out of his knapsack, as if he was expecting a war to break out any moment and use the spells that lay within it. His sword(which thankfully, hadn't fallen off,) was then promptly absorbed within the pages of the spellbook as he entered the arena filled with other young men and women waiting to partake in the entrance ceremony.

Then, as if wishing to break the metaphorical ice, a flock of black and red birds swarmed around them, pecking some of the people there as others remained untouched.

"OW! What-GAH! Are these things?!" a mousey brown haired boy exclaimed not too far away.

"I think that these birds are attracted to those with lesser magic..." a young girl elaborated, a pair of birds going at her scalp.

Yuno, on the other hand, had nothing bothering him. Well nothing but the others' awe and ire.

"I guess that it's time we saw who really came closer to becoming the Wizard King, huh?" Asta said from behind the taller boy, a chuckle escaping his lips. The people that were in the closest proximity to the two turned to the pair, whispering amongst themselves.

"Wizard King?"

"Is he serious?"

"That's not the ridiculous thing, here..."

True to form, that wasn't the most ridiculous thing- the most alienating thing there was the bird that kept stabbing at his head like a convict with a knife does to his victim.

"Time to see what six months of training has done for us-OW!" Asta yelped, waving frantically at the incessant pecking. "GET OFF, DAMMIT!" The blonde boy yelled at the annoying bird, trying and failing to remove it from his noggin. Tyrannus, once again, outright guffawed heartily at his youngest son's misfortune.

Fortunately, all of the birds flew away with the increasing amount of new teenaged magic users that entered the old stadium.

Immediately, there were murmurs of excitement and discontent among the mass of teenagers gathered. Asta bumped into someone as he tried to get a better look, unfortunately, and when he turned, he faced a muscular man with his robe hanging over one of his shoulders instead of both. His hair was just as dark as his black robe with what looked like a horned skull with a golden star in the center. He wore a white wife beater and khaki pants tucked into a pair of boots with a brown belt held together by a round silver buckle. A sword was at his hip, held to his side by a night-colored sash. Instead of a surprised look, however, there was a fierce glare on his face, intensified by the cigarette between his teeth.

"You wanna die, boy?" He snarled to him, causing Asta to sweat in fear for his life as he began to internally scream while his jaw hung low. _'WHO THE HELL IS HE?!'_

The short boy began to take in every detail about the other male as he loomed over him as if he was a predator and Asta was the prey...the very _dead_ prey. Sucking in a deep breath, Asta regained his composure, reminding himself to be friendly.

Safe to say, he later regretted ever saying what came out of his mouth next.

"You look a little old to be a fifteen year old...what kind of troubles have you gone through?" Asta asked, his hand out as if he was expecting a handshake. The air suddenly became tense and frightening around them, as the demon boy had no idea what he had done wrong when he was suddenly grabbed by the head.

 **"I guess you really do want to die."** The man said, applying pressure to the blonde's skull, making Asta sweat bullets.

 _'Shit...I had it right the first time!'_ Asta began to shake in terror as a man with hazelnut-colored hair approached.

"Oh, there you are, Yami! What are you doing over here?" the newcomer questioned, gaining Yami's attention.

 **"Huh? Just putting some kid out of his misery."** the tall man replied. The brunette sweatdropped.

"We can't have a captain killing a hopeful. What are you even doing down here...?"

"I went to take a shit and got lost." Yami replied.

Suddenly an onlooker whispered to his companion, wary. "Hey, isn't that...Finral Roulacase? He uses the rare spatial magic."

Another man, but with pale skin and heavy eyeshadow complete with black lipstick appeared before them, wearing a cap that bore the same emblem as Yami's robe. "And that's Gordon Agrippa- he's an expert on hexes, but he's bad at communicating...tell you the truth, he's a scary one." another participant whispered until realization downed on their faces.

"Which means that the one they all answer to is him, Yami Sukehiro, 'The Titan,' Leader of the Black Bulls." they concluded.

Said man began quietly counting down from ten, much to Asta's horror and confusion. "W-what are you counting down for?" he fearfully asked.

"The end of your life." Yami calmly stated, causing the young demon prince to stiffen and suppress a shudder at his indifference.

Again, the onlookers murmured to themselves. "It's said that the black bulls put a higher price on the amount of damage they cause more than their actual prowess on the field. Rumor has it that not one member of that squad is sane at all."

"Yeah," a female voice piped up, ultimately agreeing. "That's the one group I _don't_ want to be put in."

Asta tried his hardest to remove the hand gripping his skull like a pair of pliers to a tooth as Yuno merely stared at the exchange before turning the other way.

Suddenly, a voice, silky and smooth, flowed over the group of teenagers. "Young testers, we apologize for the wait."

Eight more people, only this time wearing different colored robes of different designs entered the premises through a door at the upper level of the ring.

The Magic Captains.

Yami released Asta from his grip, walking off to join them.

"You better treasure the life that you managed to keep. If not, I'll kill you. Tsk. Saved by the bell, kid."

Finral spoke up. "It's starting!"

The contestants began to clamor in excitement at the sight of each captain appearing before them when one of them, a man who sported a mask that was white and red with matching tufts spoke next. "I'll be taking the lead for this exam."

And not long after he finished, more excited murmurs rose.

"That's the leader of the strongest order of knights- The Golden Dawn's William Vengeance!"

"He's said to be the next in line for the Wizard King!"

"He was the one that took the head of an enemy general in the last battle!"

"I also hear that his men love him."

"Man, I'd love to be selected for the Golden Dawn!"

"Don't be silly, only elites from nobility get in!"

William opened his grimoire and spoke the name of his spell. "Magic Tree: Descent."

A thunderclap boomed overhead, bringing gale force winds and the ominous sight of tree roots above them. The mass of people exclaimed in shock, having never seen a sight quite like this one. From the tree roots, however, brooms came down landing in the hands of each teenager present.

"Now then, we will begin the Magic Knight test." William proclaimed, closing the book in his hands.

"We will test you on a number of different things. We captains will be your proctors for the exam- and keep a close eye on you in the meantime. Once all is said and done, we will choose who we want in our respective squads. Please know that if you aren't chosen by any of us, that means that you have failed."

Asta became determined, his green eyes momentarily flashing black to show his resolve. _'I'll definitely become a Magic Knight!'_ he thought to himself, even though he knew his father was listening in...how Tyrannus did that, Asta had no idea. Nonetheless, Tyrannus still chose that moment to speak.

 _"That's my boy."_

"Your first test is to use that broom to fly." William finished.

As if by demonstration, a man with braided hair, also a member of the Golden Dawn, by the look of his robe, channeled his magic power through the broomstick and began to levitate some few feet in the air. "Anyone who can control their magic power should be able to do this on feel alone. This is the most basic form of movement magic there is to a mage. If you can't fly on a broom, then you aren't worth looking at. With this, we can tell how much you can understand the inner workings of your magic ability."

As soon as William had finished, everyone began to pour in some of their magic power and managed to levitate a range of distances from the ground. Some came only a few inches off of the ground and others flew straight into the air. Some spun out of control upon reaching a certain height, and others managed to level easily.

William looked up and chuckled. "Well...it seems that we have quite the outstanding talent this year."

Yuno, along with a few others, were many feet higher than most others.

Asta, -who again poured in too much power-upon going a few feet into the air, probably four feet, he accidentally set the broom on black fire and tried hurriedly to pull it back in so he wouldn't totally incinerate the wood and land painfully. Thankfully this time the fire was small, so it wasn't too hard to retract. However, the wood was still charred at the end closest to the boy's hands. Another boy came over to him, sending him a two-fingered salute.

"Hey, I'm Sekke. What's your name?" The boy asked.

"Asta." The shorter boy replied, rising slowly so he wouldn't fire himself into the distance like a cannonball fresh from a battle. He stopped at six feet in the air, same as Sekke and unaware of Sekke's actual intentions.

 _'Hmph. Just make me look good, Country Boy.'_ Sekke chuckled to himself.

Throughout the next few hours, they competed on Target Practice, Magic Strength, Magic Summoning, and Creating objects with their magic elements.

Each time, Asta managed to do something amazing with his hellblaze, enough to make others look at him with shock. His flames, not him, were the source of attention, probably because of their raven hue.

At the start of sundown, William spoke up once more. "This will be your final test. Your final exam will be a spar. Pair up any way you wish- you'll fight it out with whomever you pick. Use of your grimoire is allowed. Surely, you must know one or two attack spells by now. A Magic Knight's work is combat, so show us just what you're all made of."

Asta shook with anticipation. _'This is my chance to be selected! I need to find someone strong to fight me. But won't people try to ask me to fight them, since I'm the odd one out here?'_ Asta mused to himself. Suddenly a hand landed on Asta's shoulder, making him turn his head to face them. Sekke's grinning face greeted him, with a finger jabbed at himself.

"Asta! Fight it out with me!" Sekke volunteered, not knowing what he had gotten himself into when he asked that question.

"Sekke...you'll fight me?" Asta questioned.

"Of course I will." Sekke laughed.

William, seeing that the pairs had formed, spoke the rules. "You will fight until either one of you surrenders or is incapable of continuing. We have a mage here who is capable of healing, so fight like your life depends on it."

Sekke and Asta looked at one another with determined smirks.

"Now, will the first pair step forward."

The two boys entered the makeshift ring of people, both of their hearts brimming with, all seven in Asta's case, excitement, and in Sekke's case, smugness.

"Let's fight it out like men for the sake of our dreams!" Asta said with a clenched fist, wishing Sekke the best of luck when Sekke leaned in and lay a hand on one of his shoulders.

"You don't need to try so hard, you dirty, out of place little rat." Sekke harshly "whispered" to the boy. "I'll enter the Magic Knights and half-ass it for you too. You can go ahead from whatever pigpen they let you out of and enjoy the rest of your days there."

William acted as referee. "Ready? Begin!"

Sekke held out his grimoire to his left and opened its pages. "No holding back! Let's do this, Asta!"

A ball of see-through metal with round tubes surrounded Sekke.

"Bronze Invention Sekke: Magnum Cannonball." Sekke announced, his hands at either side of him. He smirked when Asta made no move. _'How do you like that, runt? I made a bronze bomb to not only shield me, but allow me to attack wherever I want.'_

Others surrounding them began to snicker in a derisive way towards Asta.

"This is over, no way is that bumpkin is gonna break that with those black flames of his."

"Dammit, I really wanted to fight that kid too."

"Just look at his grimoire! Just what is up with that dirty old thing?"

"He's a freak with that black fire."

"Why the hell is he even here?"

"Stupid little slum rat."

"Nobody's gonna accept you in their order."

Sekke chose that moment to speak when Asta remained still and silent. "You don't need to hold back, just bring it!"

Asta finally spoke. "Okay. I won't hold back at all."

And with that, he charged forward with his grimoire open, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword as he stood before the startled and cocky bronze user. However, instead of his usual sword, her pulled out a different greatsword- one with a cross-shaped hilt and a black blade. His demon mark showed, surprising everyone else and even the captains as he swung down at the spherical ball of metal, destroying it and slamming it down on the surprised Sekke.

Stunned silence reverberated through the arena, as if they could hardly believe their eyes. How was a mere country boy of all people able to defeat someone of higher standing with a grimoire and a sword like _those_?!

Asta began to speak, effectively breaking the silence. "I don't want to be a Magic Knight just to make some good memories. Call me insane, but I'm going to be the Wizard King!" The unknown prince boldly declared. His marking was prominent over his skin, as if brimming with strength.

Tyrannus, if he could actually be seen, grinned in pride towards his son, knowing that he was already on his way to become a king not just in strength.

Murmurs soon emerged once more as if waken from a trance.

"What the hell just happened?"

"Is that sword magic?!"

"Wasn't he some bumpkin that just wandered into the wrong place?"

"What is up with that guy?!"

"Besides, didn't he just say just say that he would be the king?!"

Asta, finally fed up began to yell back at the whispering crowd. "STOP WHISPERING, PUNKS! I SAID THAT I'M GOING TO BECOME THE WIZARD KING! GOT A PROBLEM?!" Asta exclaimed with all his might.

Unfortunately, instead of stopping altogether, the whispers only increased.

"What a fool."

"Seriously, not only is he a bumpkin, but also indigent, too?"

"It hurts to see guys like this whose heads are in the clouds and can't see reality."

"Get out of the ring, you dumb kid!"

"WHO JUST CALLED ME THAT?!" Asta bellowed in indignation.

The captains and vice-captains observed the demon boy below them.

Finral hummed. "Was that creation magic?"

"No. That wasn't magic at all." Yami answered his question. Finral looked at him with confusion.

"'I'm going to be the Wizard King'? Looks like we've got ourselves a weird one." Yami voiced aloud.

William and the other captains remained silent.

The rest of the matches went along swimmingly, the nobles making the arena look like a battle.

"Man, nobles and the guys from closer to the castle town are really good."

"They have outstanding power and the control to properly put it to use."

"After looking at these guys, that shrimp doesn't really stand out much."

"Yeah, his opponent didn't take him seriously enough."

Yuno was on the other side of the arena, watching the match unfold when he noticed a boy in elaborate and silky robes walk towards him. "You haven't found an opponent yet, have you? If so, I'll be your opponent."

Yuno turned to face him, nonplussed.

"Isn't that Salim from House Havchus?" a redhead witnessing the altercation asked himself.

"You might have been chosen by the 4-leaf clover, but you're still a rat from the sticks. Fighting a noble will show the overwhelming difference in both power and position." Salim bragged as they walked into the ring.

Salim ate his words as quickly as he served them when Yuno knocked him out with surprising ease.

"To think that Salim lost so easily!"

"You're kidding, right?!"

Asta's jaw dropped for the second time that day.

The captains were amazed.

* * *

"And that concludes the matches. Now to the selections." Everyone gathered stood to attention, as if anxious for the next turn of events.

"When your number is called, step forward. Whichever captain wants that tester, please raise your hand. The choice to enter the order of knights that chooses you, as well as choosing between the multiple orders, if that happens, is up to you kids. And like I've said before, if no one raises their hand, you've failed this test."

A few gulps were heard at that last part.

"Now then, number 1, step forward."

This went on for a while with each number called either being chosen or rejected.

"#164."

Yuno went forward in a calm manner, as if he knew what was about to happen next.

All seven hands went up at once, shocking the teenagers awaiting their turn.

Yuno just as calmly called out his choice. "I request Golden Dawn."

William smiled at the dark haired wind user.

"#165."

Asta's hearts raced as sweat poured down his skin, his eyes closed as he presented himself.

He opened his eyes and noticed that not one hand was raised. His anxiety peaked until Yami stood up from his chair with a sigh, taking a drag from his cigarette.

"Of course this would happen." He spoke. Finral's attention was caught instantly.

"Yami?"

"Even if you're really good in a fight, nobody wants a power they can't identify. As the name implies, the main thing we look for in a Magic Knight is, as the name implies, magic power." Yami punctuated his words with an aura of his own power surging into existence. The pressure that it formed made Asta's sweat roll upwards, along with others around them except for Yuno. The musclebound man leapt off of the ledge and approached the nervous demon prince slowly.

 **"Nobody wants someone with a strange magic power like yours."** Yami said, looming over the boy. **"You said that you would be the Wizard King, didn't you? That means that you'll have to surpass all nine of us captains. Now can you, who has weird magic, say that to my face?"** Yami's form became shrouded in shadow as Asta swallowed his doubts, his mark flaring once again.

"I don't care if I don't get chosen here today- no matter how many times I trip up, no matter how many times someone puts me down, one day I will become the Wizard King!" Asta declared, obsidian eyes bright with passion and drive as he stared into Yami's narrowed eyes. Yuno grinned, glad to see that Asta's fire didn't die out, but instead brightened.

Others, however, continued to mock the demon prince.

"He's _still_ saying that nonsense?"

"Like hell a dirty bumpkin like him will ever become Wizard King."

Yami, on the other hand, threw his head back and started laughing boisterously. "You're a funny one. Come to the Black Bulls."

Asta was wide eyed, his mark still there, but surprised. "...What?" Poor boy was confused as hell.

 **"By the way...you have no choice in the matter."** Yami stated, his tone final. **"Be prepared to run in the lowest of all hells- the Black Bulls."** Yami spoke, a terrifying grin across his lips. "And one day, become the Wizard King."

Yami's final end of his sentence was of encouragement, causing Asta to remember constantly being put down by his fellow villagers back in Hadge. Then he repeated what Yami had just told him. Sucking in a breath, like he had done earlier in the day, Asta responded accordingly.

"YESSIR!"

* * *

Asta ran and hollered like a madman about needing to use a restroom because of something that he had eaten earlier to prepare himself for the exam, making people look at him with disgust as the people that were chosen conversed with one another.

Unbeknownst to the demon Sekke followed him, having been chosen for an order himself, plotting his revenge for having been made a fool of earlier. _'Time for a little payback, slum rat.'_

Asta's groans of pain and effort echoed from within the stall as Sekke opened his grimoire, turning to a page with a picture of a lizard on it. _'Thanks to you, I was only accepted into of the lesser orders. And why the hell would a dirty little bumpkin like you become a king of anything?'_ The lizard came to life and crawled off of the page, creping towards the stall that Asta occupied, leaving black spots of ichor on the floor. _'I'm going to eat away at all of your luck! Worst case scenario, you're an invalid after this is over!'_ Sekke's lizard was stopped by talons made of compressed wind belonging to a hawk of Yuno's creation.

"What are you doing?" Yuno questioned, having arrived in time to stop the envious boy. Yuno's golden eyes were in a fixed glare in the copper haired teenager's direction, a dangerous glint in the rolling amber hues.

 _'Crap...it's that guy with the 4-leaf clover...the guy who went to Golden Dawn!'_ Sekke paled, trying to formulate an excuse. He laughed it off. "I was just trying to surprise him! I wanted a word before we parted ways, saying let's see which of us makes a name for ourselves first."

Yuno's tone was as cold as the northern ice. "Then get lost. You're nowhere near Asta's level." His gaze became just as cold as his voice, causing Sekke to shiver uncontrollably.

Sekke walked off. "Well, it's not like I can wait forever. Tell Asta I said hello for me!"

And with that, the scared boy disappeared behind the wall beside the door. Yuno merely looked on after he vanished, only walking away just as Asta finished and left the stall to wash his hands and exit.

Both boys were determined to get the spot of Wizard king now that they had become knights.

* * *

Yami, on the other hand was not happy. Far from it- he was pissed.

 **"So what's the big idea, making me wait this long? You took too long in the shitter, boy."** Yami growled at the quivering boy. Asta tried to defend himself by telling him how surprised he was by what he produced. Yami, out of pure disgust, grabbed the boy by the head and lifted him off of the ground. **"We don't need the details, jackass."** The tall man turned to Finral. "Let's go."

"Sure." Finral answered, holding his hand out as a multicolored pocket of space easily twice his size appeared before them.

"WHOA! What is that?" Asta exclaimed in surprise and wonder.

Yami took the liberty to answer the demon. "Since you can't fly a broom without lighting it on fire(" _YOU SAW THAT?!_ "), we're gonna have to take the shortcut." He reared his hand back, as if preparing to throw him at the portal.

Finral, on the other hand, was visibly straining. "I hate to bother you, Captain, but I can't hold a portal this size for long so could you please just get in already?"

Bad choice of words.

 **"Don't you order me around, pal. And instead of bitching, surpass your limits while you're at it?"** Yami commanded, making Finral shudder in fear.

And just Like Asta had figured he would do, Yami hurled Asta through the portal as if he were throwing a ball at someone. Asta emerged from the other side of the portal face first, rising from the ground with a groan of agony as he looked in front of him to see what looked like a village made into a haphazard fortress.

His moment of awe was stopped abruptly when the front door exploded.

Asta could hear the voices of two fighting men- one of them pissed and the other one giddy and saw a woman in nothing but her underwear muttering about a hangover.

Yami stood behind him and gestured to the people that he could see before him with a grin on his face. "Welcome to the Magic Knights' lowest ranked order- the Black Bulls!"

Asta briefly wondered what he had gotten himself into when he saw the rowdy bunch.

* * *

 **A/N: And DONE WITH 3. Took me a few days to finish, but I've covered eps 2,3,and 4 in one go! Oh, hell, that was exhausting to even write up. I do have a question for you guys- how should I reveal to the Black Bulls that Asta is 4th in line for the Demon King's throne? I'm having a hard time trying to think of ways to jump over that particular hurdle entirely. Better yet, _when_ should I reveal that particular bit of info? OK, to ease some confusion here, Asta has not found out what he is, nor has his father told him. He just knows that he has three older brothers, a father, and that's about it. He has no idea that he is in line to succeed his father's throne, nor does he know that he is of royal lineage. So, yes, getting that scene done is a bit of a problem.**

 **If anyone can give me some help on that, that would be wonderful!**

 **Review, follow, and/or favorite!**

 **NEXT UP: _Chapter 4: Prince, Meet Princess._**

 _ **~Deathblow88**_


	4. Prince, Meet Princess

**A/N: Hello, there! It looks like it may have taken a while to get this edited...there is a reason for that. Just don't kill me, please? For some reason, I couldn't get the file to work...I have to copy and paste it all here.**

 **Damn.**

 **Standard Disclaimer Applied.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 4: Prince, Meet Princess**_

* * *

 _'Don't screw this up, Asta. As they say, first impressions are everything.'_

Asta had sweat dripping from his cheek as he sucked in a breath, preparing to introduce himself. Stepping forward, Asta began to loudly declare himself. "My name is Asta from Hadge Village! As of today, I'm a member of the Black Bulls! I look forward to working with you all!"

Asta was promptly ignored as the fight escalated.

One of them, who resembled a yankee, was launching fireballs at a blonde boy who cartwheeled out of the way with a permanent grin on his face The pinkette in nothing but her underwear was yelling at them to be quiet. A dark haired girl was at a table of her own eating a pile of food that could easily feed six people. Another man stood before a mirror with a nosebleed, reprimanding the bickering three about paying tribute to his sister. A massive man in a mask encased in shadows sat down and paid no mind, as if he had no idea what to do at all.

 _'Aaaand...they didn't hear a word I said.'_ Asta thought.

The yankee haphazardly fired around fireball after fireball, one nearly hitting the demon boy. "Revenge for my pudding!" The yankee declared. Yami stood unaffected by everything happening, taking a long drag from his cigarette. More shouting from the rowdy group disturbed the peace as Yami just watched on until he coated his arm in magic power and smashed his fist into the wall.

 **"Stop destroying my base!"** Yami commanded, even as chunks of brick and stone fell to the ground.

Asta shuddered and gaped at the scene. _'YOU AREN'T DOING MUCH BETTER!'_ he internally screamed.

At once, all discord stopped before they rushed to their captain in a jovial manner, saying words of greeting and asking for a word or offering food.

Yami grinned. "You guys really like me that much, huh?" As soon as the words left his mouth, his whole demeanor changed from amused to frightening. **"Shut up, then."**  
As a whole, the ones present apologized and sat on their knees.

Yami then gestured to Asta, making the blonde boy jump slightly and stand straight. "This shrimp here is our new member. Show him the ropes and try not to kill him."  
Asta then, for the second time, introduced himself. "My name is Asta from Hadge Village! As of today, I'm a member of the Black Bulls! I look forward to working with you all!"

"There are more people in our group. Some are out on missions, others are on vacation, and others just don't show up at all. Try to get along with them."

The busty pinkette of the group then spoke. "Your heights and voices are totally different. Wait, when you say 'Hadge', do you mean that little village at the edge of the map?" she then adorned a cheshire grin, reaching for the young prince in a seductive manner. "Being from out in the cut and getting into the Magic Knights...you've done pretty well for yourself, kid. How about I do something nice for you?"

Asta fought to suppress a nosebleed.

"Thanks for the offer, but I've already got my heart set on someone..." Asta denied the offer as he turned around. The pinkette, on the other hand, threw up on the floor as she was still rather hung over. The demon prince jumped back so that the vomit wouldn't get on his shoes when someone stepped forth behind her.

"Come on, kid." The newcomer said, a glare on his face intensified by the sunglasses he wore. "A weak shrimp from east bumblefuck like you is a member of the Black Bulls? I don't know how much head Yami gave you, but until you have one of these robes, I, Magna Swing, will never consider you one of us. Even if you were Yami's most trusted subordinate."

Asta, on the other hand wasn't intimidated as Magna displayed his robe. His jaw hung low, and Magna could've sworn that he saw a hand come out of the boy's mouth. "Let me have one, please!" Asta exclaimed in awe with stars in his eyes.

 _'Where the hell did the hand come from?'_ Magna thought. He chuckled at Asta's enthusiasm. "So you want a robe, then, huh? Good, good. But before you get one, you'll have to go through the Black Bulls entrance ceremony." His look became sinister, as if he wanted to murder the boy before him.  
Everyone suddenly found themselves outside as Magna and Asta circled one another.

"I don't care what method you use- just block or dodge the attack magic that I throw at you. If you can do that, then you'll be one of us. I'll give you this robe, too." Magna elaborated, a smirk on his face.

The pinkette yawned as the blonde got excited. "There he goes with his unofficial ceremony again."

The blonde boy chose that time to speak. "Who cares if it's unofficial? It's entertaining!"

"Here I come! Take out your grimoire, shrimp!" Magna yelled, his griomoire already in his hand and open.

"I'm ready whenever you are!" Asta shouted back, pulling out his steel greatsword in preparation for the attack as Magna charged a fireball in his open palm.

The man reared back his arm, ready to throw his burning creation at the teenaged prince. His arm shot forward, the fireball heading towards Asta at a rapidfire pace. The demon coated his blade in black fire, solidifying it around the blade as if to make his weapon a shield- a new move that he had been practicing against Yuno over the past six months that he liked to call "Black Scabbard" and held it horizontally before his body, effectively reflecting Magna's flame as it raced back to its creator.

Said man squawked as it hit him with twice more force than before. The Black Bulls watching were shocked by the display Yami leaning a bit more towards impressed. Magna coughed as Asta stared at his darkness-covered sword in shock and awe.

 _"Whoa. I think my magic just evolved!"_ Asta mentally cheered, much to Tyrannus' ever-growing pride.

 _"That it did, my boy!"_ Tyrannus laughed with pride. His youngest was starting to become more and more like his brothers every day- Meliodas even more so.

Magna rose from the crater in the ground with his sunglasses destroyed, revealing periwinkle blue eyes.

"That hurt, goddammit! I almost got killed by my own magic! HEY, PUNK!" Magna yelled at Asta, making Asta recoil in shock. How in the hell was he even okay?

"You're pretty damn good!" Magna praised the boy.

Asta surprised at the sudden exaltation, his confusion shown on his face. "What?"

Magna laughed heartily, giving the young prince two harsh pats on the back. "You didn't just block or dodge my attack, you sent it right back at me! I like you, Shrimp-sta!"

Asta coughed at the force he was using. "It's Asta." the demon corrected.

"I'm from the country, too! I'm from Layacker, just a little north of Hadge!" Magna exclaimed joyfully.

"Damn, that's way out there!" Asta replied. Magna sweatdropped.

"You've got no room to talk, there." The veteran mage rebutted.

"And my magic isn't really all that amazing- but my flames are black for some reason. That, and I only got my magic power six months ago, so I'm a little out of control. I can't fly a broom without it going up in flames because it's so unpredictable." Asta humbly explained.

Magna was quiet. "Black flames?" he questioned.

Asta gulped audibly, sweat dripping down his cheeks. _'Shit. What did I do?'_ he thought, icy fear flying through his veins. Magna, however, did the total opposite of what Asta had expected him to do.

"That makes you even more impressive! You're a real man, aren't you?" Magna commented.

All of a sudden, the other Black Bulls, who had been watching, crowded around the boy.

"You're pretty interesting, kid." The blonde exalted the demon prince.

"Stay away from my sister." The one who had been staring at the mirror demanded.

"You're pretty good, boy." The pinkette exclaimed, still clad in only her robe and underwear.

"Do you want some?" The dark haired girl asked, holding a small cake in her hand.

The blonde from before suddenly pushed himself before Asta, startling him. "Now, then, let's begin round two. You're going to fight me!"

 _'THE FUCK?!'_ Asta mentally yelled in horror. Luckily, the dark-haired girl pulled the battle-crazy Magic Knight away.

"This is good. Would you like some?" she offered the sweet to him. Asta took a bite and sure enough, it was delicious.

Magna held something in front of the young prince, causing him to look at the older fire user.

"Here. This is yours, Asta." Magna presented.

Asta could barely contain his happiness before his headband suddenly turned, the red cross design facing the back.

The semi-nude woman held up a wand, probably the reason why his headband had gone in another direction than normal. "Have this as an added bonus." she said as a golden version of the Black Bulls emblem appeared on the side facing outwards. The robe fell onto Asta's shoulders like a cape, signifying his entry into the Black Bulls.

"And now, you're officially a member of the Black Bulls!" Magna announced to the boy, unsuspecting of the silver haired girl watching them as Asta yelled his thanks to the world.

"So that's the new member? Insect." she scoffed, casually flicking back one of her twin tails.

* * *

"With this, you are now an official member of the Black Bulls order! You'd better do well enough that you don't throw dirt on our name, you hear?!" Magna ordered before turning to the base.

"Yessir!" was Asta's ever jubilant reply.

Magna gestured to the building in disarray. "Get excited, because as a special bonus, I'm showing you around the base!"

"Follow me, Shrimp-sta!" Magna commanded, sprinting through the hole in the wall left from earlier.

Asta quickly followed, not too far behind. "Right behind you, Shady!"

"It's Magna." the mohawked man corrected.

The pinkette called out behind them. "Hey, we haven't even finished introducing ourselves, yet!"

She was too late- they already disappeared into the halls.

 _Elsewhere..._

"This is the mess hall!"

"Whoaaa."

"This is the bathouse!"

"Huge!"

"That's the women's rooms! Any guy who tries to go in there will set off the trap and get killed!"

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"And this is the wild beasts' dungeon!"

"Why in the hell do we even have one?!"

"Yami likes it."

"And over here, we have-oh?" Magna stopped running when he saw a teenage girl with silver hair and magenta eyes dressed in the Black Bulls' signature robe and silver and wine clothes. Her face was devoid of any and all emotion as she walked towards them.

Asta was mesmerized instantly.

"Is this where you were? Asta, this one is the other one we admitted this year. She's your equal." Magna introduced.

Asta held his hand out for a handshake. "I'm Aster from Hadge Village. Let's work together to achieve our separate goals."

The other teenager slapped his hand away, as though disgusted with him. "Who gave you permission to speak to me?" She demanded, confusing the demon prince.

"You insect with such abhorrent magic. I am Noelle Silva, of this country's royal line." Asta's jaw fell as his skin became white as a sheet.

 _'SHE'S ROYALTY?!'_ Asta could hardly believe it. Tyrannus hummed.

 _"This girl reminds me of your brother a little."_ Tyrannus said.

 _"Which one?"_ Asta questioned, confused by what his father was saying.

 _"The one directly before you- Zeldris."_ Tyrannus elaborated for his youngest.

Asta bowed before the girl in apology. "Please forgive this insect, he was unaware of who he was talking to."

"So long as we have an understanding." Noelle coolly replied.

Then, Asta realized what she had called him. "Hey, who are you calling an insect?!"

Noelle was unfazed.

"The two of us are equals in this order! You being royalty doesn't matter at all!" Asta exclaimed loudly.

Magna wholeheartedly agreed.

Tyrannus, on the other hand, sighed at the irony of Asta's statement. _'YOU'RE a PRINCE, and you're saying that royal blood doesn't matter?'_ Tyrannus thought to himself.

"Foolish commoner, are words too difficult for you to understand?" Noelle calmly asked, her hand alight with magic. "If so, then I'll make you understand."

Noelle fired a bullet made of water...that hit Magna instead of Asta.

Magna coughed, soaked to the bone. "What the hell was that for, you little bitch?!"

Noelle's brows furrowed. "You were standing in the wrong spot. Who said you could stand there?"

Magna exploded. "I'M HIGHER RANKED THAN YOU ARE! I DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK IF YOU'RE THE SISTER OF THE SILVER EAGLES' CAPTAIN! THE ONY REASON YOU'RE EVEN HERE IS BECAUSE YOU GOT YAMI'S APPROVAL!"

Noelle removed her robe and cast it to the floor as she walked off. "I want nothing to do with this order."

"Where the hell are you going?! What about my apology?!" Magna yelled after her. Asta could only stare at her retreating back in shock.

Some time after that little incident, Magna led Asta to a dilapidated and small bedroom on the opposite end of the castle. "And this is your room."

Asta took a little time to take everything in, completely unused to the new space he could claim as his own.

Magna kept on. "Dirty and small enough to make you cry? By the way, my room is three times worse."

Asta was breathless as he wept in joy. "My own room..."

Magna stammered in surprise as the short boy set to cleaning his new room, telling Magna that there were usually six to a rom where he lived back in Hadge.

The more experienced Magic Knight walked out of the room with a two fingered salute. "Do whatever you want. Until you take your first mission, you're on your own. But if something happens, feel free to call me."

Asta wasted no time cleaning his room before he went to bed, not having realized that the stench from unwashed sheets had gone out of control over the years.

* * *

Early the next morning, Asta wandered out in the woods to relieve himself, not knowing just where the toilets were. "Why did the interior change?" he asked aloud, and to nobody in particular.

That was when the sound of rushing water became apparent.

Blinking away his drowsiness, Asta was jarred awake by a gargantuan ball of water crashing into his body at high speeds.

The prince sputtered in surprise. "Where the hell did that come from?!" Looking beyond the bushes, Asta blinked when he saw Noelle standing before a tree surrounded by smoking craters, the painted tree completely untouched. Noelle had her hands out in front of her, out of breath and clearly frustrated with something.

"Why...?" She whispered. Asta could see the small tears gathering at the corners on her eyes. "Why can't I hit what I want to hit for a change?"

Her hands were now resting on her shaking knees, remembering what she endured growing up with because of her poor control over her magic power. As a result, her hands fisted in determination, quickly overextending her power as the water covered her like a cocoon. Asta was rendered speechless.

The Black Bulls that remained inside of the base were awoken by sound of rushing water and the overwhelming and sudden surge of magic power, dashing out to have a look-see. Upon seeing the out-of-control globe of water with aquatic tornadoes attached to it, earning various degrees of shock from those below.

"Oh, wow!"

"That's a helluva lot of magic power! If this is left alone, this can get ugly real quick."

"Her magic is out of control."

Within the bulbous sphere, Noelle was holding her breath tightly, as if she would drown if she released it for even a second.

Yami blew out some smoke from his cigarette. "If we suppress it with magic, then the girl inside might die."

 _'If we had someone who could nullify magic, then we could stop this easily.'_ Yami thought as Asta flew towards them. Holding out one of his arms, palm flat, the dark-haired captain easily caught the flying demon.

"Just the guy I'm looking for." Yami voiced aloud. "Would you mind doing something about that?"

Asta became worried on the spot. "Whoa, hold it a minute! I can't fly up there without setting anything on fire, remember?!"

Yami reared his arm back, said appendage blanketed in magic power as he prepared to throw the boy. "Now is the time to surpass yourself, kid."

And soon enough, Asta was sent hurtling at Noelle at breakneck speed. His panic showed on his face before he pulled out the black sword that he had used at the exam, swinging it at the water. It was rent in twain, freeing the silver-haired girl as the liquid dispersed from where they hovered in the air.

The second that Noelle reopened her eyes, however, was when Asta realized their newest problem- neither of them could fly and they were about a mile high into the air.

"Oh, shit." Asta swore as they began their descent before a portal opened before them, making a shortcut to reach the ground as courtesy of Finral.

"I'M ALIIIIIIVE! THANK YOU SPATIAL MAGIC!" Asta yelled to both the weeping heavens and to Finral as Yami laughed heartily.

"Nicely done, Asta!" Yami praised the demon.

"Thanks!" Asta replied, proud of his efforts. He turned to the still prone Noelle, addressing her as he did so.

Noelle flinched slightly. _'You're a failure,'_ her mind repeated as she clenched her fists again. _'As usual, I'll only be insulted.'_

She wasn't quite prepared for Asta's next few sentences or what was about to happen at all.

"That's some crazy strong magic power you've got there!" Asta yelled.

Noelle was puzzled.

"My magic power is all weird- yours looks relatively normal compared to mine, I'm jealous!" The demon prince continued with a grin on his face. The noble could only blink at his praise, a slight cherry blossom hue lighting the edges of her cheeks. "I'm not gonna lose out, though! If you train enough to the point to where you're able to control it, you'll be undefeatable!"

Magna stepped forward, his hand on his hip. "So, your problem was that you can't control your power? Well, why didn't you just say so? We're the worst order of Magic Knights out there- the Black Bulls. We can easily help you with that!"

"I'm just glad that you're safe. Hey, I know this place with delicious food, you wanna head there sometime?" Finral asked after expressing his relief.

"Before that, try some of this!" The dark haired girl from before offered again, yet another cake in her hands.

"I'm an expert at magic control and nothing else, I can show you around the ropes. Even the bedroom's." The pinkette volunteered.

Noelle was barely holding back tears at the fact that the Black Bulls had accepted her so easily. She rarely, if ever, got any acceptance whatsoever from anyone.

Asta held out his hand for the girl to take as he pulled her up from the ground, the sun creating a rainbow as the last of the water fell down to the earth below.

* * *

A few days later, while they were eating, Asta decided to ask Magna, or anyone who knew, really, a certain question. "So, I've been meaning to ask- what exactly do Magic Knights do, anyway?"

Magna sent him a sharp glare that rivaled Yami's own. "Huh? You're seriously asking that kind of question? We protect the country, guard VIPs, work for men! Why in the seven hells did you join an order without knowing something that simple?!" The fire user yelledinto his face in indignation, roughly grabbing him by the collar and shaking him wildly like a ragdoll.

Vanessa, the pink haired woman, was already sort-of buzzed despite it just then being lunch. That didn't stop her from elaborating, though. "There's also things like protecting the people to do- you'd find a wonderful person that way."

Luck, the battle-crazy one, chimed in also. "There's also fun things like fighting till you're satisfied. If it's to arrest someone, no one will care if he falls down half dead."

Gauche, who held up a picture of an angelic young girl as his nose bled, added his own two cents. "On top of that, you get to admire my sister. You can buy her anything she likes with your pay. Isn't she just an angel?"

Charmy, who had been scarfing down food like it was her last day alive, turned to him with a cheery smile. "You get to eat a lot of food, too!"

Gray, who was the masked man upon introduction, suddenly stood before the now startled demon prince. Then, out of nowhere, he shapeshifted into Asta and laid his hand on his shoulder. "Whatever it is, it's good work. At some point, we'll be working together, so I look forward to it."'

Not too long after they ate, Noelle and Asta stood before Magna as he gave them their first mission. "You two will be in Soshy Village hunting a boar." He stated, making the pair of them look at him incredulously.

 _"Dad. You hearing this?"_ Asta asked the Demon King.

 _"Yes. And I'm wondering why in the hell you need to hunt a boar, of all things, in the first damn place."_ Tyrannus responded in kind, just as stupefied as his son.

"What in the hell is that kind of a shitty mission?" Asta questioned.

"How is it shitty?!" Magna angrily retorted.

"I could eat a boar with my bare hands!" The young prince challenged.

"Boars aren't meant to be meant to be looked down on!" Magna shot back.

Yami stood behind them with a grin on his face, smoking a cigarette as was his usual and chuckled. "I lost a bet with the chief of the village and the loser was to do one thing the winner had asked of him. In order to bring profit to his poor village, he was trying to get 1,000 gold in one go. When people have a lot on their shoulders, they're really quite powerful."

Asta flung one of his arms into the air as he hollered out his point. "THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH US!"

Noelle agreed with him wholeheartedly. "He's right!"

Yami then fixed his best glare on the two. **"So are you going out or going to die...?"** Yami threatened.

Asta played along Magna's tune for a little bit. "It might not be the ideal situation, but it's my first mission! I'm getting pumped!" the demon prince declared.

Noelle, on the other hand, was still skeptical bout the entire ordeal. "So I'm going to a dirty little village for a dirty old man...to kill a dirty boar?" she questioned aloud.

Magna was offended. "What? Do you have a problem with it?"

"I never said I did." Noelle returned cannonfire. "I was only wondering...if it was okay for me to go with you, since I can't control my magic."

Magna fired another shot. "You'll get better with every mission you take! Besides, I'll be there to clean up whatever mess you make!" he bellowed.

"I-if you're willing to do that, then I'll go with you." Noelle declared.

Asta was enlightened. "Wow, Magna! That was real manly!"

Magna became bashful instantly at the praise. "Stop it, Dumb-sta, you're making me blush."

"This time around, we can't use Finral's magic, so we'll have to go by broom." Magna informed the two.

"I can't fly a broom without setting it on fire." Asta reminded.

"I can't fly a broom at all." Noelle reminded Magna further.

Magna went off the deep end. "HOW IN THE SEVEN HELLS CAN'T YOU DO SOMETHING SO BASIC?!"

"I suck at controlling how much power I put into it." Asta said. "Why is he pissed?"

"I can't control my magic power properly. Dummy." Noelle chastised.

"Why is she acting high and mighty?" Magna asked himself. "If that's the case, I'll get us all there on my favorite broom." Magna pulled out a broom with a longhorn skull and ribcage attached to the handle, the bristles haphazardly arranged.

"So cool," Asta breathed out in amazement.

Noelle was nonplussed.

"I call it the Crazy Cyclone!" Magna declared proudly.

"Lame!" Noelle judged.

"The hell? I guess a woman just doesn't get it." Magna sighed, disappointed.

"L-A-M-E!" Noelle reiterated.

Magna, Noelle and Asta were seated on the broom with Asta cheering in the back.

"Alright, let's get outta here." Magna grunted as he tried to concentrate his magic power.

"Are you going to be alright?" Noelle asked.

Suddenly, Magna shouted to the world. "I LIVE UP TO MY WORD!" Then the broom rocketed into the air as it headed towards its destination.

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, I know, shorter than the previous three. but it's currently 4 a.m. where I live, and I'm pretty exhausted. So forgive me if there are any typing errors. I also have another question to pose: Should I have one of Asta's brothers appear sometime in the story to search for him after so long? If so then which one- Meliodas, Estarossa or Zeldris? Also, which arc should I have them appear?**

 **Review, Follow and favorite!**

 **NEXT UP: _Chapter 5: A Hellfire Born From Drive_**

 ** _~Deathblow88_**


	5. A Hellfire Born From Drive

**A/N: Hello, Ladies and Gents! Thank you for reading this crossover and for your reviews- I'm taking every suggestion in stride. As for those who review to me in a language different from English, I will try to look up the meanings to the best of my ability and reply the best I can** **, but know that my reply may not make sense. I'm trying to learn several different languages at once, so believe me, the process will be difficult.**

 **So, I'm going to be introducing a certain hook-marked demon this chapter! Can you guess who he is? Rest assured, he has never met Asta before at all, nor does he know that Asta and Meliodas are related whatsoever. He just senses that he can use demonic powers and finds it coincidental that Meliodas and Asta look a lot alike. And it won't just be him- Meliodas and the Ten Commandments appear throughout the chapter, also!**

 **Standard Disclaimer Applied.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **Chapter 5: A Hellfire Born From Drive**_

* * *

Meliodas stared into the dreary and treacherous void that was the Demon World, his arms crossed as his sword rest by his side. Over the past fifteen years, he had not aged much, only his mind wisened. His choice of clothes didn't change much, either- he still wore his pale blue, sleevless longcoat and matching pants. He was, however, starting to lose what little patience he held for his brothers, as they were serving intel on the enemy and hadn't returned when they were due weeks ago.

Removing his back from the wall, the short man adjusted his gloves and summoned his darkness, pooling it between his shoulder blades as he grabbed the hilt of his sword. Leaping off of the side of the tower that he had been perched on for the better half of an hour, Meliodas took flight on his newly made wings to scour the rocky lands for his absent brothers. But that wasn't all he was doing.

Meliodas was serching for the site that his father had been sealed, having had no luck in the midst of the first battle of the war. Astaris was still nowhere to be found- even with his father's guidance, his efforts in locating his youngest brother were in vain.

Zeldris had once told him that he worried far too much over their little brother when he had the chance two years ago, before he went to train out at the palace.

"As much as I hate that I'm admitting this, Astaris is Father's son. And from what I could sense, he is still alive somewhere among the humans. Calm down- Astaris won't be killed so easily."

And Zeldris was right; Astaris was a member of the Demon Clan and the son of King Tyrannus. He would be difficult to put down.

His obsidian eyes narrowed as he stopped to hover, as well as call upon nine certain people.

 _"Commandments, hear me!"_ Meliodas reached out, feeling the other nine begin to respond and smirked.

Maybe they would be able to kill two birds with one stone this time.

* * *

In the human world, Asta turned his head back to sneeze while they were on their way to Soshy, feeling like he should be freed from the grasp of something malignant in the air. He marveled at the sights around them, not having been able to take the sights when he first used a broom.

Noelle, on the other hand, was quite concerned over the flight quality. "Can't you fly a little more smoothly?"

Magna cried out in protest. "OW! Don't strangle me!"

Asta was still hollering in all his joy. "Magna, this is great! It's like...we're one with the wind!"

"Hey, shortstack, hold on properly unless you have a death wish!"

Upon reaching Soshy, they noticed that something was amiss- namely the thick and heavy mist that surrounded only that area.

"Yeesh, this is poor weather." Asta commented. _"Like the weather in my dreams and you show up."_ Asta mentally added, his father ignoring the subtle jab.

"It's not the weather doing this, it's magic." Noelle corrected. "And that means that even if we do enter through the front, we might not make it to our destination in time."

 _"Astaris."_ Tyrannus said, wary for the first time since said demon knew him. Asta was brought to attention instantly.

 _"Yeah?"_ the blonde responded as he felt the ichor he had felt before begin to pool in his gut.

 _"Be wary. I sense a demon watching us here."_

 _"You don't have to tell me twice, because I've got a bad feeling about this. Someone you know?"_

 _"No...but I have a very good idea who it is."_

Asta suddenly blinked at the name that Tyrannus referred to him by. _"Hey, wait a minute, why'd you call me 'Astaris' all of a sudden?"_

 _"I'll explain that later. But for now, focus. That 'Magna' boy is talking to you."_

Tyrannus faded from his son's mind as Asta started, turning to Magna as said man waved his hand before his face.

"Sorry, what'd I miss?" Asta dumbly asked.

"I said 'Use that black sword from the other day to cut through this'!" Magna hissed. Asta, knowing what he had meant, removed it from the pages of his grimoire with one hand, the hilt of his father's gift in the other just in case. Asta made a wide horizontal slash, evaporating the mist entirely to reveal a horrifying sight- every resident of the village was gathered under hovering icicles that the three Black Bulls knew were meant to kill them all.

Then, as if out of nowhere, a bone-chilling voice draped over everyone there. "Execution."

The icicles descended, Magna and Asta dashing forward to stop them from reaching the villagers as they braced for impact.

Magna, however, reached them first. Fireballs flew into each instrument of death, effectively melting them into puddles upon contact.

The villagers, upon seeing the sigil on Magna's robe, cheered in relief.

"An order of Magic Knights has come to save us!"

Asta and Noelle stood behind Magna, magic power at the ready. Magna let out a breath, getting increasingly frustrated. "What the hell is happening around here?"

A young boy with shaggy light brown hair held the hand of an old man who, by the looks of it, would not get to make it to another day. "Your prayers came true, Pops." He sniffled, tears streaming down his face like waterfalls. Magna had noticed the man's appearance, remembering that he had been playing a game with him sometime in the past.

Asta and Noelle felt a heavy weight settle in their stomachs.

Magna, on the other hand, was enraged. He turned to what he presumed to be the ones responsible, all five sans the leader wearing white robes. The leader himself had hair just as pale as the cloaks his accomplices wore. In his hand was what looked to be a pocketwatch that ticked away at every second, making him look up. On his face was a scar that ran over his skin. "Why did you allow them to live? No matter, they'll all die in three seconds anyway." Raising both his hand and his grimoire, the man sent a massive ball of ice hurtling towards them. Magna unfortunately, didn't have enough magic to destroy it.

Asta, however, did.

Pulling on the black rod from within his grimoire, Asta unleashed both of his swords and sliced through the ball of mass destruction, his marking come to life. The skin on his right hand began to cover itself with dark miasma, shocking everyone present. One of the robed men, on the other hand, actually shivered as the miasma on his hand became a spiral as the rest covered his forearm, not extending beyond that point. The demon prince landed just as both halves missed the villagers entirely before he grit his teeth in anger. Black miasma seeped through his skin in response to his boiling blood, his hearts running faster than before.

 **"You'll pay for that."** Asta growled through clenched teeth. Once again, the same cloaked man shivered. Tyrannus observed the spectacle from Purgatory, noticing the scared man shiver at Asta's power.

Something told him that the scared one was the demon he had warned Astaris over.

"Why in the hell would you do this to innocent people? Just who the hell do you think you guys are?!" Asta shouted, pointing his black sword at the enemies before them as the villagers either watched on or prayed in fervor.

Magna took the time to assess the situation as the miasma that the oblivious prince emitted began to dissipate, showing that he was beginning to become calmer, if only a little.

 _'They don't look like spies from an enemy kingdom or your run-of-the-mill thieves. Who are they?'_ Magna thought.

"I got no word that an order of Magic Knights was coming." One of them mumbled.

"Then this expedition is unsanctioned." Another replied.

"The Black Bulls...among the Magic Knights, they're the order that does what they want." The leader deduced further.

 _'That boy...the short one. Guessing by the marking on his face, he's a demon. He'll be a tough one.'_ the leader mused internally. He spared a glance at his watch. "Five minutes. In five minutes, I'll wipe out this useless village and continue my research." he decided.

Asta shot forwards, one of his swords behind him. "DON'T IGNORE ME!"

One of the lackeys raised a hand, creating a blanket of fog before the demon prince.

"Did you really think we would let you get close to Master Heath?" he mocked, not seeing him emerge. "Foolish boy."

He hadn't expected the prince to disappate the fog with ease as the blonde boy charged ahead. "Like hell that's gonna work!"

Heath took notice instantly. _'It's just like what happened with my magic- but I don't know what type of magic he's using. But that sword he's wielding negates magic power entirely.'_

"Why in the hell would you want to kill all of the villagers here?!" Asta exploded. He held his sword before him, obsidian orbs burning with bloodlust and rage.

"This is a village of lowborn peasants in the Outer Ring. These people use their mediocre magic for making the quality of their lives easier. I'm only wiping out the peasants that may take up my time. You have enough power to get into the Magic Knights. The only reason that you're protecting these people is because you're obliged to do it. Don't they all look worthless to you?" Heath answered.

Asta began to remember a time back in Hadge when he had spoken to Sister Lily about the outer ring and discrimination between nobles and peasants.

His black eyes shone with burning determination. "I'm the guy that's gonna protect those people!" Asta boldly declared. His demon mark was beginning to glow a faint dark purple, as if mirroring his anger.

The villagers were amazed by the prince and his selflessness. Heath remained emotionless.

His hand raised as the temperature dropped, smaller icicles forming at his fingertips.

"Are those filth really so important to you?" he coldly asked as a condescending shadow loomed over his face.

"I'm gonna send your magic back at you-?!" Asta swiftly dodged the mist that flew at him. Unfortunately, he didn't see the multiple shards of ice floating around all of them until the fog cleared.

"Can you defend these swine now?" Heath coldly asked of the three. The man who had been shuddering from fear earlier seemed to be taking a better look at Asta, right before he shakily mumbled in horror.

"Meliodas..."

Tyrannus then realized why the demon was so terrified- it was Asta's resemblance to his brother. What with their similar appearances, one could easily mistake either one of the two for each other easily.

The terrified demon went unheard as Heath continued.

"I hate taking too much time on things like these, but this is a surefire way to get everything finished in one fell swoop."

And with that, the shards of ice advance like soldiers in a sprint to the battlefield to annihilate the enemy. Asta had seen it coming and with the anti-magic sword in his possession, used the spine of the weapon to deflect each shard back towards their creator.

"So you can reflect magic, too. Unfortunately for you, boy, I won't be defeated so easily."

Asta steeled himself, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightening. Heath began to send more shards at the boy, forcing him on the defensive.

"My shards will only keep coming back. Now, protect them like you said you would!"

Asta's swings became wild as Magna readied a plethora of fireballs to get at the ones that had gotten through his defense. Letting them fly with a hushed curse, Magna turned to the head honcho of the five before them and ground his teeth as cold sweat dripped from his chin.

 _'From the looks of him, he's not even showing his true strength! Dammit!'_

* * *

Back in the Demon World, Meliodas stood atop one of the numerous distorted mountains in wait, noticing a few more presences shooting in his direction. Two of them he had recognized Estarossa and Zeldris, and the others he recognized as the other Ten Commandments(If you were to bar Zeldris).

Estarossa and Zeldris arrived first, landing on their feet. Zeldris, like Meliodas, had not really aged much.

Estarossa, on the other hand, looked like a grown human man in his early thirties. His hair hadn't grown much, but he was a staggering six feet in height- the beard just helped him complete the look.

"Brother." Zeldris coldly greeted. "Would you mind telling me just what's going on that required our assistance?"

Meliodas saw the other eight commandments land behind Zeldris, waiting.

"I was planning on finding both Father and Astaris in one fell swoop." Meliodas spoke.

All of them were surprised by the blonde man's declaration. The Ten Commandments, however, were stunned beyond belief at the name that Meliodas had mentioned.

"This comin' from the ass, but who in the hell is Astaris?" A young woman asked, bare skinned unless you counted the darkness that cloaked certain parts of her body. Her wild gold hair was reminiscent of a lion's mane as her demon mark was fitting- as it resembled the jaw of a beast with a round circle between its' teeth.

This time, Zeldris answered. "Astaris is our younger brother...which makes him the Demon King's youngest son."

"And if we're going to find him, then we're going to have to go to the human world. Discreetly." Meliodas added on, sending a pointed look towards Calmadios. The gargantuan, six-armed male had the gall to look apologetic. That didn't exactly quell the surprise, though; in fact their surprise was brought to new heights.

"You guys..." The blonde started, surprised.

"Have a younger brother?" Her companion, a brunette wearing a cape and blue pants tucked into sabatons, finished for her.

"Yep." Estarossa confirmed. He crossed his arms, awaiting his older brother's next orders.

Meliodas cleared his throat to garner their attention, mentally revisiting the strategy that he had come up with before they had all congregated.

"Listen up. If we get this screwed on the first go, we might not ever get the king or Astaris back."

And with that, the eldest prince discussed his plan with them all.

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, I know that this one was short. But, we _do_ get to take a look at an angry demon prince and the other Ten Commandments- including Fraudrin.**

 **Let me clarify this now- Zeldris is not the Commandment of Piety. That would be a certain other demon prince. He is the executioner.**

 **Meliodas' outfit is the one from the flashback in chapter 176 of the manga. His sword is also the same.**

 **On a small side note, since the new semester started up last week, I won't have a lot of time to update, much less get to write, update or edit anything for a little while. Just letting you know that now before I forget to tell you anything. I will be posting a stand-alone one-shot around the time I get to release chapter 6.**

 **NEXT UP: CHAPTER 6: _Long Live The Ten Strongest_ **

**I** **nterlude: _Four Princes Strong_**

 **Favorite, follow and/or review!**

 _ **~Deathblow88**_


	6. IMPORTANT (Please Read)

**Okay.**

 **When I started this fic, I recall saying that I will ignore and delete flames, correct?**

 **...So why in the _hell_ am I getting flames when I said _"NO FLAMES?"_**

 **Look, I can see that some of you are not happy with me not updated in a while. But before you lose your shit, _CALM THE FUCK DOWN._**

 **At the end of "A Hellfire Born From Drive," I remember saying that I would be busy with school, correct?**

 **That also extended into my summer. Mainly in part of UPCOMING CLASSES FOR MY SENIOR YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL.**

 **So, again, no flames. Also, not rude reviews either. They will be deleted upon sight.**

 **Goodbye.**

 _ **~Deathblow88**_


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